27.1.24 Thoughts on teaching sdg for 2 semesters

 Interesting to see how this year's students understand a very general view of writing their personal assignment essays. Compared to last year, they all are very smart and creative in writing a very personal stories on their own experience in practicing SDG. 

Below is one sample from this year's assignment.

I have damaged skin barrier

3.1.2024

Started to feel gradual increase in itchiness on my face for the past few weeks. And it burns so bad even on sunscreen. And my sunscreen or anything applied will look super oily within few minutes. 

List of products used before:

The ordinary peeling solution 1x/week

Garnier vitamin C serum~1x/2 weeks

Garnier anti-acne serum 3x daily

Sunscreens with salicylic acid daily

Etude Facewash milk daily

Deriva (adapalene) daily

All these products are damaging and thinning my face. Decided to skincare-fast for few weeks. Today is week 2.

Products used to repair:

Centella light cleansing oil daily

Simple facewash 2x daily

CICAPLAST BAUME B5+ 2x daily

After 2 weeks, skin looks less oily,  and no burns. Tried using Etude Milk facewash every other day. Slowly incorporate few actives. 

*Inspired by Dr Shah on TikTok 😁

*Update*

25 Feb 2024

Bad breakouts. Just got off the cruise, been the worst had almost 10 new acne. 

Tried 🆕 skin care:

La roche posay Effaclar duo 2x daily

CICAPLAST BAUME B5+ 2x daily

Gladerma benzac 5% on spots

Acne looks dried quickly from the benzac. Effaclar made my skin tight, so i layered with cicaplast and sometimes COSRX oil free ultra moisturizing lotion. A bit oily but less than last month. 

22 July 2022

Was talking to a colleague yesterday and realized I wasn't one to actively seek for information. I would take what's presented to me as is. There may be time that I did google on people, but only when it intrigued me that much. I know people who google others constantly, they said to get ideas for conversations later on or just to know the person. And these 2 people I know are very successful and deemed to be smart, trusted people. 

Maybe I should start being inquisitive, seeing that in this branding aid book I'm currently on it is a good attribute if we know how to use it nicely. Inquisitive is equivalent of being nosy. People may think you are. But twist it around by explaining why you ask all those questions. Yep I think my colleagues did explained when I was looking weird at them when they were googling people casually. I was horrified inside, but play it cool. These people were definitely googling me when I wasn't around. Now that I am here, they'd lose interest and move on. 

15.5.2022

I am not the only one who felt wearing selipar jepun is ugly AF. Had a chat in pantry the other day with a very senior colleague whose been in government sector for over 20 years. She said when first came to this institution, she had keep up appearances with heels and nice clothes. Looking at the higher position people dressing down, wearing slippers in office made her change and being sloppy dressed is the choice now. It's easier and comfy. But ugly. But that's how everyone is anyway. 

I'm conforming to the culture too. Stupid but I'm trying to fit in! Haha. Wrong reason. 

Never thought I'd feel unattached. Distance from my family/home when I lost one parent. Don't feel like spending that much time time anymore, other than my own home. Maybe it just don't feel home anymore. When you lost a mother. I feel content just being by myself. Could be that I'm old enough to only want my own company. Could be I still long for one that I lost. 

14.5.2022

Home is where you office is (phd student strategies to complete writing)

When your home is your office. It's hard to differentiate the space. I had my study desk in my bedroom, since I did my master degree, and now in my phd years. Recently I moved to a bigger bedroom, and had my study desk and my TV in the same room. It was difficult. 

I almost had 0 time on my desk at one point. I can sit for hours watching TV, just beside my desk. I started googling strategies to focus doing work/study. 

I tried too many strategies. 

1. Sit for 3 to 4 hours at the desk, prepare all my meals and water on the desk. So I don't have to get up for coffee or snacks. Only up for bathroom breaks. It worked for a couple of days, then I got bored and being lazy again. 

2. Lazy because of anxiety. Refer to vlog: James Hayton Phd (youtube vlogs)

So I carefully rewired my brain to think of the success it brings if I do my phd work now. Think of all the fun things I can spend my time on if I actually finish my work early on. It doesn't work for long, infact this one lasted shorter than the 1st strategy. 

3. Spent 15 minutes only. Not more and not less. Do your work, whatever it is for only 15 minutes. Do as fast as you can. So I told myself, sit at your desk for 15 minutes, then you're free to go do whatever you want. And I ended up sitting there for hours, sometimes 4 hours staright. This one did actually worked for me! I competed my 1st thesis draft with this strategy. 

So don't be afraid to try several tricks before settling on one. And don't be too frustrated if it worked for a while, then you're drifted again. It's okay to be bored with one thing, and find another. There's no hard rule for a strategy to work. It all depends on your mood and motivation. 

Good luck to everyone and myself!

It's vaccination day for me. Wish me luck.

TGM

14 July 2021

Phd student's routine (vaccine appointment)

I have submitted my first thesis draft to my supervisors. This is my daily routine:

1) Checking emails every 2 to 3 hours, just in case my SVs replied after reviewing the draft (it's day-16 since I sent it to them!).

2) Checking mysejahtera vaccine appointment. I got my appointment today! 4 days to go.

Thankful for the vaccine appointment, I think it came unexpectedly early for me. I saw on Instagram that Klang Valley had started phase 3. I didn't know N. Sembilan speeds up. I had filled up vaccine forms 3 times for UM, 1 for IIUM. My colleagues had been called, replacing people in IIUM PPV. UM had been collecting names for astrazeneca. I was hopeful to be called. Set my phones on high volume during the day, so I wouldn't miss if any PPV call. 

It went viral about last week, that younger people had registered mysejahtera since Feb, but haven't been called for vaccination. I checked mine it was on the 23 Feb. They said to filled up helpdesk, write down that you've registered since Feb. So I did last week. I got automated email reply explaining unfortunate circumstances and I wasn't hopeful. Woke up today and saw a small mysejahtera icon. Mysejahtera never send notification, I knew it was either for vaccines or call for swab testing. I got my vaccine appointment on the 14th July.

Yeay!

TGM

10 JULY 2021